h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Folks!

I'm a german H2O-Polo-Goalkeeper and I've got a little update on field-lengths and playing-time:
The length and width is taken in meters. The field (pool) is up to 30 meters long and 20 meters wide.
There also is the so called "2-meter-line", 2 meters in front of each goal. No opponent player is allowed to swim across this line without the ball or without the ball being in the zone between goal-line and 2-meter-line.
Next is the "4-meter-line": Penalties are shot from this line, and it is indeed quite a short distance I can tell you ...
The goalie is allowed to put his feet on the ground and to hadle the ball with two hands. But he is not allowed to jump off the ground, so this "standing-rule" is quite silly.
A recent change of the rules brought us the "7-meter-line" If the opponent is fouled outside this 7-meter area he can directly try to score. Otherwise he as to pass the ball to another player.

In Germany we play 4 quarters of 7 minutes stop-and-go.
In Italy and Spain they paly 4 quarters of 9 minutes. And this is quite a hell of a time! Though, you have to swim during the whole match.

Alright, I hope I was able to provide some useful infromation.
See You!

Thanks!

- X